thegreenpages.ca

Ending the War in the Woods

2012-05-29T17:00:35Z

[caption id="attachment_17826" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Taiga forest dominated by Picea glauca. Gaspé, Québec. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)"][/caption] Canada’s forests have boiled with social, political and economic conflict since the 1980s. Now, a coast-to-coast truce has been called by the forest industry and the environmentalists; one that attempts to respect each other’s interests and values, hopefully leading to a future where more forest is protected and the industry can return to profitability. Featuring the Ivey Foundation’s Tim Gray, the Sustainability Network is hosting a discussion that will explore the history, actors and power wielded in forest conflicts and examine how it led to the negotiation of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, the world’s largest conservation accord. Be sure to check it out: What Canada’s Forest Battles Tell Us About Resolving Conflict Featuring: Tim Gray, Ivey Foundation Thursday, May 31, 2012 4:00 – 5:30 PM 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 120, Toronto

Call for Papers: World Forest History Series (esac.ca)
Climate Change to have major effects on Prairies (thegreenpages.ca)

Prescription for health and happiness: A daily dose of nature

2012-05-29T03:24:57Z

With more than 80 per cent of Canadians now living in urban settings, many of us lack a meaningful, regular connection with the natural environment that sustains us. (Credit: evilpeacock via Flickr)

Do you want to be happier, healthier, and smarter? I have just the prescription for you: add a daily dose of nature to your routine. Over the past decade, researchers from fields as diverse as biology, psychiatry, engineering, horticulture, neuroscience, and medicine have realized what most of us know intuitively: nature is good for our health and wellbeing. These experts have discovered countless links between time spent outdoors and cognitive, physical, and emotional development. Studies show that enjoying a natural setting -- like a park, beach, wetland, or forest -- can reduce blood pressure, anxiety, and stress levels. Exposure to nature can help you sleep well and increase vigour and liveliness. It can even boost your immune system. In their new book Your Brain on Nature, naturopath Alan Logan and Harvard physician Eva Selhub cite dozens of studies that demonstrate the health benefits of the natural world. They even refer to outdoor physical activity as "exercise squared" because it can increase energy and fitness levels while reducing fatigue, depression, and obesity. Melissa Lem, a family doctor and member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, says exposure to nature is vitally important for kids. She suggests that time spent with flora and fauna is essential for healthy psychological and physical development in children. In a recent Docs Talk column she points to studies that show daily doses of "green time" can be used to prevent and treat conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, hypertension, and diabetes. Ailments like myopia, asthma, and depression have also been linked to inadequate nature exposure. While this scientific body of evidence is fascinating and growing quickly, most of us remain unaware of the full range of health benefits that nature provides. And with more than 80 per cent of Canadians now living in urban settings, many of us lack a meaningful, regular connection with the natural environment that sustains us. Getting in touch with the outdoors has another great benefit: those who know and love nature work harder to protect it. This is why the David Suzuki Foundation is about to launch its first ever 30×30 Challenge. Starting June 1, we're inviting Canadians to spend at least 30 minutes in nature each day for 30 days. By encouraging people to get a regular dose of fresh air we hope to help participants take advantage of the many health benefits nature has to offer. They might even make it part of their continuing daily practice. With the busy lives that many of us lead, taking time to get outside may seem difficult. But it's easier than you think. Green space is as close as your local park or backyard garden. Trails, ravines, and community gardens are often a short distance from the daily grind. And birds, bees, and other critters are usually nearby; you just have to take time to slow down, breathe, watch, and listen. Are you curious about how you can get your daily dose of nature? Ditch the indoor gym and go for a run or walk in a park or on a trail instead. Use your lunch break to get out of the office and visit a nearby green space. Find a nice leafy tree and read a book in the shade. Brush off your green thumb and spruce up your garden. And on June 15, make plans to get outside with your favourite little ones on Nature Play Day in Canada. For the young at heart, a British organization called the National Trust has put together a fun list of 50 activities all children should do before they are 11¾ years old. While playing conkers (a game involving chestnuts on strings) might not be among the top 50 Canadian pastimes, the list includes cool activities that are worthwhile for any age. The joys of rolling down a big hill, eating an apple picked fresh from a tree, and hunting for bugs are truly timeless. Join the 30×30 Challenge beginning June 1 and incorporate small natural diversions into your daily routine for a month. Add some green to your commute, lunch break, workout schedule, or playtime. And remember, a daily dose of nature is good for your head, heart, and health.

Inspirational people on Pinterest

2012-05-24T03:05:53Z

We love Pinterest. Check out our People board for the most influential individuals in the environmental social movement.

Influential people in the environmental movement on Pinterest

Got a suggestion to add to our board, let us know in the comments box below.

NCC protects part of Newfoundland’s famous Cape Spear Peninsula

2012-05-24T01:24:07Z

Majestic cliffs at Cape Spear, NL. (Image from Wikipedia)

Petty Harbour – Maddox Cove – The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has conserved a landmark property on North America’s easternmost point. The 11 acres are on the southern shore of the famous Cape Spear Peninsula. Located in the scenic town of Petty Harbour – Maddox Cove just outside St. John’s, the property is part of the coastline which National Geographic listed as the world’s top-rated coastal destination in 2010. “This is NCC’s first project in eastern Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Doug Ballam, NCC program manager. “This last piece of private land on the southern edge of the Cape Spear Peninsula will help maintain the natural beauty of the coastline. We’re looking forward to engaging the public in the stewardship of this important property.” Located in the Fog Forest natural area, the newly conserved property is largely covered by coastal coniferous forests. It also contains 30-metre vertical cliffs underscored by small beaches and sea caves, as well as wetlands. The award-winning East Coast Trail runs through the property, allowing visitors to experience the rugged beauty and spectacular marine life along Newfoundland’s coastline. Hundreds of thousands of marine and coastal seabirds nest in the area, providing incredible wildlife viewing opportunities during annual migrations. Conservation of this coastline is critical in providing a safe place for seabirds to roost and feed, including Atlantic puffins. Puffin chicks are attracted to house and street lights which can lead them away from the habitat they need to survive. Conservation of this habitat will prevent incompatible development and help protect puffins and other birds from unintentional harm. The Nature Conservancy of Canada wishes to recognize those who helped make this project a reality, including the Hebron Project, Mountain Equipment Co-op and the Government of Canada’s Natural Areas Conservation Program, along with individual donors in Newfoundland and Labrador. “From its stunning headland to the opportunities it provides for outdoor recreation, Cape Spear is a jewel of coastal Newfoundland,” said Mountain Equipment Co-op CEO David Labistour. “We are delighted to provide financial support to the NCC to help conserve this invaluable landscape.”

PEI Islands Go Under Protection of Nature Conservancy(myessentia.com)

P.E.I. islands secured by Nature Conservancy (cbc.ca)
Video: Ancient Land (thegreenpages.ca)
Nature Conservancy protects key habitat in northeast New Brunswick (thegreenpages.ca)
Western Bluebirds return to Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve (thegreenpages.ca)
Nature Conservancy launches volunteer initiative for National Volunteer Week (thegreenpages.ca)

What we will be eating soon

2012-05-18T23:31:05Z

Just finished reading the article. Unbelievable!

Team up to picture the world! ADAY.org

2012-05-17T17:51:14Z

ADAY.org- Aday.org draws on the energy of one single, ordinary day to create an unprecedented global documentation project with long-term ambitions. Professionals, amateurs and targeted populations are asked to picture what is close to them and map their images to 3 to main categories: Home, Work and Connections. Through a clever combination of categories, tagging and context generating labeling, daily life objects, situations and relations will be globally documented within a clear structure.

Our spirit is inclusive. The project is a tribute to the contemporary potential of photography: as a documentation tool as well as a communication tool. We are looking for perspectives of everyone who enjoys photography. All images will be displayed online for you and everyone to explore. Some of them will be selected for a book, others in digital exhibitions. Every single one will be saved for future research and inspiration.

Among others, two Nobel peace prizewinners, ex presidents, prime ministers, the Deputy Secretary General of the UN and an impressive scientific council support the project. We have also gathered a unique group of photography, journalism, technology and design professionals helping us making this experience visually meaningful with a large public worldwide documenting their own lives.

More information can be found here:

General information: www.aday.org
Latest news: www.aday.org/news
Meet our connectors: www.aday.org/connectors
Desmond Tutu on aday.org: http://youtu.be/W2yd4GZJwck
Facebook: www.facebook.com/adayorg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/adaydotorg
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110643961395341604930/posts

MOVE Expo casting call: Would you live in a car for a month?

2012-05-14T18:19:58Z

At 80 minutes per day, Toronto has one of the worst commute times in the world. That works out to almost a full month of commuting for the average Torontonian every year. Imagine spending a month in a car? That’s crazy! Or is it?

Evergreen, a national charity, is looking for a candidate who is willing to live in a car from June 26 to July 26. It’s all part of the organization’s effort to promote this summer’s MOVE Expo at Evergreen Brick Works.

Do you think you’re that special someone for the job? If so, visit our the MOVE Expo’s #monthinacar page to find out how you can apply!

You’d have to be prepared to spend 24 hours a day for 4 weeks straight, eating, sleeping and driving in the car. (Don’t worry, you’ll be allowed out for the necessary breaks!) You’ll get to make media appearances, interview industry experts for a 12-part Passenger Seat “webisode” series, and interact with the public through social media. It’s all part of an effort to find out how much time Torontonians spend commuting, and about new and better ways of “getting around” town.

All candidates must be 20+ with a clean driver’s license. Submissions will be judged based on skill set, personality and creativity.

Deadline is May 25, so get your submissions in now!

Free EcoCabs in Support of Evergreen Brick Works (sys-con.com)
Poll: Torontonians split on subway vs. LRT, don’t trust Mayor Rob Ford on transit (thestar.com)
Support for road tolls, taxes and user fees depends on smart implementation and fair allocation (blog) (pembina.org)
Our cars are killing us – and not just in the way you might think (theglobeandmail.com)

Edible Adventures

2012-05-13T17:13:12Z

Saskatoon berries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Written by London-based permaculture expert Jessica Roder, this article was first published in EcoParent, a new magazine that caters to environmentally minded parents.

There is food all around us. Whether you live in the city or the country, in a house or an apartment, you have access to way more fresh healthy food than you think.

I divide this into two categories: A) food you grow with foresight, and B) food that grows voluntarily or on public land. For category A you might be picturing tomatoes, lettuce or herbs. For category B you may not have a clue, or maybe you think of raspberries or Saskatoon berries. This is a good start but there are so many more possibilities!

Have you noticed the word locavore being thrown around in the last few years? It refers to people who prefer to purchase food that was grown close to home. They do this for a number of reasons including greater nutritional value and taste, reduced environmental footprint, support for the local economy, and the sense of community that comes with a direct connection to the producer. You can cultivate your inner locavore by shopping at farmer’s markets, making farm gate purchases, becoming a member of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) venture, or growing more of your own food. How much more local can it get than from your own backyard or community garden? How much fresher than when it was picked minutes ago? The nutritional value of food diminishes rapidly once it is picked, as does the flavour.

With most of the food in grocery stores being shipped 2400 km and sitting for weeks from picking time to eating time there are enormous benefits to growing it yourself or foraging from the wilds around your home. Let’s talk first about growing your own, then we’ll delve into wild crafting.

Growing food with your children is lots of fun. At 34 I still get all giddy with excitement every time a seed I planted pushes up through the soil. It is magical, and even though the seed did all the hard work I still get an enormous sense of accomplishment like I helped somehow. Having a role in creating life teaches children care and respect for the natural world. Gardening is an easy activity in which to involve children of all ages. And the bonus of letting them pick which fruits and vegetables to grow is that they are often more likely to want to eat them come harvest time.

My friend Monica had her daughter Alexa out in the garden with her before she was a year old. She was helping pick asparagus, beans, raspberries and blueberries. That fall she helped remove the dead plants. In her second year she helped with the planting. This year for Christmas, she got a ‘green’ doll house and insisted that all the carrots had to be planted before she could go to bed. They taught her about composting with the book The Little Composter and she knows where the compost goes in the garden.

Get pint sized tools for your kids. They love to help out. Mini watering cans. Mini shovels and trowels. Give them tasks such as counting how many tomatoes are red, harvesting 6 beans or 10 strawberries, planting seeds and watering them, and as they get a little older, weeding. There will be some trial and error with this and they may pull up a carrot instead of a dandelion but with guidance they will eventually get it right and you can use it as a teachable moment, letting them know that dandelions are edible too (more on that in the ‘expert’ section). Children can readily learn to identify plants and it is important to teach them what is NOT edible as well. A friend who had an entirely edible garden was shocked when his daughter just started eating random things in a friend’s backyard. As far as she knew, all plants were edible and safe because that was all she had known munching her way through her own yard. They had to explain that you always have to check with an adult before eating something unfamiliar. This leads us to our next topic — foraging for wild foods.

A juicy, ripe raspberry. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many native plants are edible and many “invasive” species were actually brought over by settlers as food stock when they first came to the Americas. For some reason they have fallen out of favour and we are suspicious of anything that isn’t pre-packaged from a grocery store. Berries are the obvious and delicious place to start with your kids. Here it is very important to stress that you ONLY eat berries you are positive are safe. If you don’t know, don’t touch it. There are poisonous ones out there. In an urban area you should be able to find raspberries, blackberries, Saskatoon or serviceberries, and depending on your whereabouts, mulberries, blueberries, and highbush cranberry. Look along riverside trails, the scruffy edges of parks, and even in the landscaped frontages of businesses. I pick an abundance of Saskatoon berries on the grounds of the sports stadium in my city. Leafy greens are also not hard to find.

There are many spring delicacies that can be found in settled areas. Some of these get bitter as the season warms so get out early and chase away that cabin fever with some vigourous foraging. Examples include dandelions, purslane and garlic mustard. Get a good guide book for your local area and start slowly by learning 1 or 2 new plants a year with your kids. You don’t have to be an expert. You can do plant ID together with your field guide and the internet. Soon your kids may be teaching you! One word of caution is to consider what may have been sprayed on the plants. Avoid manicured areas that are highly maintained and former industrial lands where there may be contaminants.

Seed Starting

Make the germination process visible for children by starting your seeds in damp paper towels.
Show kids pictures of the fully grown plant so they can look forward to seeing it (or even better, with something like a tomato, cut one open and show them the seeds).
Let kids create labels to identify the seeds and the plants once they have been moved to the garden or windowsill.
Set up experiments with older kids. Germinate some in paper towels and seed others directly into soil. Keep the plants in the same area of the house or garden and compare how well they do.

Easy Crops to Start With

Lettuce, swiss chard, cherry tomatoes, radishes, sunflowers, calendula (edible leaves and flowers)
If you start your seeds indoors ensure you ‘harden off’ your plants before moving them to the garden for the summer. Carry the pots in and out each day, exposing them to full sun and wind a little more each day. After about a week you should be able to transplant them into their new home

Low Maintenance Perennials — Why Replant Every Year?

Rhubarb is a favorite and a good teaching tool for a discussion around ‘edibility.’ The nice red stalks are delicious and nutritious, the leaves are toxic. Make it clear to children that even if a plant is ‘edible,’ not all parts of it necessarily are.
Mint is great for munching on while working in the garden or for crushing into drinks. It can take over a space so you may want to plant it in a pot to keep it contained.

To see the print version of this story, and to read more stories like it, check out EcoParent magazine.

Growing wild edibles(greenreview.blogspot.com)
Interview with Gayla Trail: On Small-Space Gardening, Herbs, and Edible Flowers(treehugger.com)

3 Books to Help You Grow Beautiful Edible Gardens From Yard, Deck, or Rooftop (treehugger.com)

Canadians for the Great Bear

2012-05-05T20:17:22Z

Great Bear Rainforest (Photo credit: Dogwood Initiative)

Vancouver – Oil tankers and an oil pipeline through Canada’s remarkable Great Bear region are too great a risk to take–so says Canadian hockey hero Scott Niedermayer and other well-known British Columbians who gathered last week in Vancouver to kick-off of a nation-wide campaign, Canadians for the Great Bear.

Spokespeople representing a range of political stripes and expertise joined forces to call for a sustainable future for Canada’s unique Great Bear region. The group raised expert concerns about the risks of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to Canadian values, jobs, and the environment.

“It’s tremendously important to me to be a Canadian for the Great Bear. The amazing places we have in our country are part of what it means to be Canadian,” says Niedermayer, who grew up in interior B.C.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Backed by WWF-Canada and B.C.’s Coastal First Nations, Canadians for the Great Bear are calling for an energy strategy that respects nature, reflects Canadian values and works for all Canadians.

“I am a Canadian for the Great Bear because the risks of an oil tanker or pipeline spill far outweigh any potential rewards,” says Grand Chief Edward John, Hereditary Chief of Tl’azt’en Nation. “The proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline has united First Nations across the province to stop this pipeline and increased oil tanker traffic on the coast.”

Scientists from BC universities spoke out about the threats to long-held Canadian values of environmental stewardship.

“I am a Canadian for the Great Bear because I believe that exposing this region’s biodiversity to an unacceptably high risk, in return for poor economic and social returns, is not a rational decision,” says noted University of British Columbia scientist Dr. Eric Taylor. “It runs counter to B.C.’s motto… Splendor sine occasu …splendour without diminishment.”

The campaign will rally Canadian individuals, businesses, and communities to speak out for a sustainable future for the Great Bear region. “We’re inviting Canadians across the country to join our team,” says Niedermayer.

Oil and water clash in BC’s Gitga’at territory(vancouverobserver.com)

High-profile NHLer skates into Northern Gateway debate (theglobeandmail.com)
Former NHLer Niedermayer says no to pipeline (vancouversun.com)
Mel Hurtig joins growing opposition to Kinder Morgan’s pipeline plan (vancouversun.com)
Six years later, it’s time to end unsustainable logging in the Great Bear Rainforest (rabble.ca)

The fundamental failure of environmentalism

2012-05-06T15:47:50Z

With increasing catastrophes like oil and chemical spills environmentalists pressed for laws to protect air, water, farmland, and endangered species. (Credit: marinephotobank via Flickr)

Environmentalism has failed. Over the past 50 years, environmentalists have succeeded in raising awareness, changing logging practices, stopping mega-dams and offshore drilling, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But we were so focused on battling opponents and seeking public support that we failed to realize these battles reflect fundamentally different ways of seeing our place in the world. And it is our deep underlying worldview that determines the way we treat our surroundings. We have not, as a species, come to grips with the explosive events that have changed our relationship with the planet. For most of human existence, we lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers whose impact on nature could be absorbed by the resilience of the biosphere. Even after the Agricultural Revolution 10,000 years ago, farming continued to dominate our lives. We cared for nature. People who live close to the land understand that seasons, climate, weather, pollinating insects, and plants are critical to our well-being. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the environmental movement. In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, which documented the terrible, unanticipated consequences of what had, until then, been considered one of science's great inventions, DDT. Paul Mueller, who demonstrated the effects of the pesticide, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1948. In the economic boom after the Second World War, technology held out the promise of unending innovation, progress, and prosperity. Rachel Carson pointed out that technology has costs. Carson's book appeared when no government had an environment department or ministry. Millions around the world were soon swept up in what we now recognize as the environmental movement. Within 10 years, the United Nations Environment Programme was created and the first global environmental conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden. With increasing catastrophes like oil and chemical spills and nuclear accidents, as well as issues such as species extinction, ozone depletion, deforestation, acid rain, and global warming, environmentalists pressed for laws to protect air, water, farmland, and endangered species. Millions of hectares of land were protected as parks and reserves around the world. Thirty years later, in 1992, the largest gathering of heads of state in history met at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was meant to signal that economic activity could not proceed without considering ecological consequences. But, aided by recessions, popped financial bubbles, and tens of millions of dollars from corporations and wealthy neoconservatives to support a cacophony of denial from rightwing pundits and think tanks, environmental protection came to be portrayed as an impediment to economic expansion. This emphasis of economy over environment, and indeed, the separation of the two, comes as humanity is undergoing dramatic changes. During the 20th century, our numbers increased fourfold to six billion (now up to seven billion), we moved from rural areas to cities, developed virtually all of the technology we take for granted today, and our consumptive appetite, fed by a global economy, exploded. We have become a new force that is altering the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the planet on a geological scale. In creating dedicated departments, we made the environment another special interest, like education, health, and agriculture. The environment subsumes every aspect of our activities, but we failed to make the point that our lives, health, and livelihoods absolutely depend on the biosphere -- air, water, soil, sunlight, and biodiversity. Without them, we sicken and die. This perspective is reflected in spiritual practices that understand that everything is interconnected, as well as traditional societies that revere "Mother Earth" as the source of all that matters in life. When we believe the entire world is filled with unlimited "resources" provided for our use, we act accordingly. This "anthropocentric" view envisions the world revolving around us. So we create departments of forests, fisheries and oceans, and environment whose ministers are less concerned with the health and well-being of forests, fish, oceans, or the environment than with resources and the economies that depend on them. It's almost a cliché to refer to a "paradigm shift", but that is what we need to meet the challenge of the environmental crises our species has created. That means adopting a "biocentric" view that recognizes we are part of and dependent on the web of life that keeps the planet habitable for a demanding animal like us.

thegreenpages.ca

Ending the War in the Woods

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